In the Newbies forum I promised some photos of my recently acquired '66 Daimler 2.5L V8, and If I get the process right, they should be showing below. I can't tell you how much I enjoy driving it, and I doubt anyone would believe the number of comments I get every single time I'm on the road…they usually have that wistful nostalgic 'I remember' look on their face - probably the same look I get on my face every time I go to drive it.

The real purpose of this post, however, is to ask jag lovers where they stand in regard to a slight modification I'm thinking of making. The Daimler has already been converted to a 5 speed manual and has power steering added, as well as an unfortunate looking 'embellishment' stuck onto the centre console - yes I know, the original manual Daimler didn't have a centre console, nevertheless, these mods are there and I have to live with them (quite happily re the power steering and the 5 speed I might add), so the car isn't strictly original and I'm thinking one more change might not matter in the eyes of people who know and love Jaguars (and Daimlers).

I will be up for new tyres soon and I wanted to go a bit wider for the obvious benefits to handling, but because the rear spats already sit pretty close to the tyres and I fear they'll be rubbed by wider tyres, what do you think the general consensus would be if I was to change the rear spats to Coombs spats?

I know the Coombs spats make for a sporty look and are well received on the Mk2 Jags, but what about on a Daimler?…considering the Daimler is more for grace than pace, but what are your thoughts? Cheers.

 

To me the only reason you might consider what others would want is if the car is just for resale and not for you to keep. To me I maybe on the extreme as I turned my 3.8s into my interpretation of a modern Beecham restored modified Jag because that is what makes me happy.


For tires you can have wider tires without changing the combs style fenders but you probably cannot go much more than one size wider unless you change rims. If you are willing to spend money on a 3 piece rim design then you can get a custom off set rim so that you maximize the fender space to fit the widest tires. My 3.8s for example has the stock body which covers about 1/3 or so of the rim and tire and by using the off-set measuring tool that many good high performance tuner shops or tire shops have or you can buy it at tirerack.com; I was able to change my rims to 17" x 8.5" rims and now the car has 245 wide tires on all four corners which really makes for great handling.


Just do what you want and not let others bias you. Changing rims/tires is no big deal as a new owner can change it back to stock if they want. People used to say modified cars never hold up their value but if you track the trend now the price for restomod cars done right are higher than numbers matching stock cars. The reason is that in today's roadways driving a 40 year old car often is not that fun nor safe and people want that classic look but want modern performance and luxury. Remember this is your car so do what is going to give you pleasure as you have to have fun with your car.

 

Thank you primaz. Good advice I'm thinking. I'll also certainly investigate the offset etc.

 

are you thinking of wider tires for looks or for improving something else? For example, will you be driving the car in a racetrack?

wider tires are less fuel efficient, but a wider tire makes the car faster on takeoff by a fraction of a second, as in "more rubber on the asphalt" like they say.

the car looks very nice, even with the Center Console mod which looks very appropiate and fitting.

what I would use is the widest possible tire that will fit the existing wheels without causing any issue ar giving the car a "pimped" look.

 

There are hundreds of options of rims from ones that appear stock to whatever your taste happens to be. Three piece rims do cost a little more but are well worth it as it will give you the ability to get wider tires. For handling the quality of the tire and size is a huge factor.

 

Certainly no racing. I mainly want better handling for long trips at higher speeds. I'm not talking about 80MPH+ but I'd like to be able to keep up with the flow of traffic at our highway speeds of 60 - 70 mph. I'd feel more secure with more rubber on the road.

 

The only benefit I can see from putting slightly wider tyres on is they may be easier to obtain, Effect on handling will be minimal as the rest of the suspension remains as designed in 1958. Apart from the rear, wider fronts can end up rubbing the wheel arches. When radials came in, Jaguar modified the top of the wheel arch by folding the edge round to make more room. Check your car has this mod. There is nothing wrong with a good 185/15 radial IMHO, you're not going racing in it, surely !

 

I agree with Fraser but cars sure look better with wider tires, don't they?

personally I love the hubcaps/rings/wheels that he has; if he has 15 X 5 wide steel wheels, he could use 15 X 5½ wide steel wheels from another Jaguar and still use those hubcaps and rings which embellish the car nicely, AND use a wider tire.

and yes, I would definitely go for the Coombs spats, they would enhance the rear wheel openings.

one thing to consider: wider tires will transmit more road noise into the cabin, so he needs to try and get all-weather "comfort" or "Quiet" tires. Michelin makes some interesting tires in 15" size.

 

Wider tires will make a huge difference in handling and you do not have to extreme as I did. I offset rim say a 17" x 7" with say 225 or 235 wide good quality tires as the right off set should allow 245's like my 3.8s so one or two tires sizes smaller is very safe, like a Michelin Pilot Super Sport for good all weather traction will make the car handle a lot better. For tires read the reviews from real people at www.tirerack.com Many lower profile tires do not create noisy or harsh rides. For a step up but not too aggressive I would go with all season performance tires and a 45 to 55 series height which will improve tire flex and improve handling. The width will definitely make a huge difference but do not forget about the quality of the rubber so get good quality tires.


As I said you can get three piece stock style as those stock rims look like many other 60's cars and hot rodder's have even used three piece rims on cars that used to have white walls and they paint the inner portion of the rim white which gives the illusion of white walls when it was really the rim. Three piece rims can be ones to look stock. The key for performance is to get an offset to accept a 7" wide rim as that should clear and the lighter the wheel will also help performance.

If you are willing to spend additional money I would upgrade to springs about 20% stiffer and change your rubber bushings with either new stock or poly (these will be a little stiffer). Then I would upgrade to adjustable shocks.


I think that would be a good set up. If you want to do more aggressive you can change these cars to adjustable coil overs which allow the car to be lowered with full height springs. Even on a more extreme set up as mine, the car drives smooth and not harsh. I can corner thru the mountains well over the maximum speed signs and the car out handles many stock new cars with ease.

 

Thank you primaz. I'll try to sift through all the options, but I don't know how I could ever convince my better half to let me go all out on the suspension upgrades. ha ha ha.

 

Hi Aussiejag,
Wider tyres look great and the make the car feel more secure on fast sweeping corners. And for just that reason I would go forward and find something that you like to fit those tyres on.
Your car has had a manual conversion which releases proformance from the V8 that Jaguar tried to hide with the auto. (didnt want it upsetting sales figures for the MK2) At some point I plan this Conversion to my Daimler.
The only problem I can see is when unleash the potential, will your bum out preform the bench seat on those fast sweeping corners
Then where do the upgrades stop
Well only one more jacking point to replace and I'll be back on the road again.
Your car looks great. I really like the centre console looks stock.


Craig

 

Ha ha, funny you should mention bench seats. The split 'bench' seats have proved to be a winner with me. No phones swallowed up in the gap between the seat and a centre console, nor keys, nor garage remotes. No more torch and tweezers recovery of annoying little items that are drawn into that vortex. I'm not sure that late 50's early 60's engineering knew so much about corners and I figure if I'm sliding around in the first place, I'm taking corners way too fast. I'll save that for my 5.0L XF

 

has anybody noticed the TOOLS MENU at the top of the page in this forum?

it has a Tire Rim Calculator and a VIN Decoder. First time I see it.

 

Might come in very handy!

 

Just say for safety you need to repair the suspension, problem solved

 

Calculators do not tell you what your real options are. To know what size can fit you have to measure and there are tools under $100 such as:


Percy's WheelRite Wheel Fitment Tool - Free Shipping on All Orders @ JEGS


These tools let you know the real size that will clear. That is how I found out that I can run a 17" x 8.5" and a 245 wide tire; same as my Datsun 240Z with the right offset I am also running 245 wide tires instead of the skinny 175 or 185 and the handling is so much better.

 

This angle is a beautiful thing - It's not really a lie because of the safety thing, it's thoughtful of her safety, and it certainly serves my wants. Aaaaand, she'll see straight through it! Oh well.

 

Aussiejag

I have a 1967 Daimler 2.5V8 and considering a swap to manual gearbox. I saw the pictures of your car with the 5 speed manual conversion. Would you be able to share the details of who did the conversion.

Thanks

 

Beautiful looking car. Hope to see it in next year's Bay to Birdwood!

 

Sorry so long to reply, I've only now just seen your post. The conversion was done in the 90's by another owner, but I have all the receipts for the restoration so I'll have a hunt through those and let you know what I find.